“Aqueous enzymatic extraction and fractionation of protein from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii”,

Portable electronic devices are negatively impacted by energy and power density limitations of current lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Architectures or materials for faster ion and electron transport are required. Since the diffusion time of ions is somewhat proportional to the square of the diffusion distance, the use of a nanoporous 3D nanocarbon-based electrode that is characterized by short diffusion length of ions will significantly improve the power density of LIBs. This research will utilize 3D carbon nanotube (CNT)-based electrodes in combination with an active material such as Fe3O4 or SnO2 that has high lithium storage capacity for improved LIB performance. The CNTs will be synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using a hydrocarbon precursor and a transition metal catalyst. The resulting CNTs will be processed to form a porous 3D nanofoam composite. The properties of the 3D nanocomposites will be characterized by electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and gas adsorption while the electrochemical properties will be studied by cycling the composites as an anode material in a half-cell configuration. The characterization data would illuminate the relationship between the 3D electrode properties and the LIB performance. This study is expected to enable the establishment of rational guidelines for the design of high-performance 3D electrodes.